Amanda’s first class was a dud.

Gifts was supposed to help students understand and harness the talents they got from their Godly parents. Amanda watched a boy charm his way out the door and a girl turn a boulder into gravel with one punch before she realized what having a gift meant. When it was her turn, she just stood still.

“Um, I can’t do anything special.” She admitted. “Unless getting expelled from five schools in one year counts.”

“Not unless your dad is Hermes or Ares.” Her teacher said dismissively. “Back of the line.”

She walked away dejectedly. When no one was looking, she snuck out the back door and made her way to the large battle arena behind the gym. She watched students slash at each other with swords and spears while archers took aim at straw dummies.

What can Eros even do? She asked herself. She watched a girl swing a scimitar and disarm two combatants. Can I do that?

She made her way to the workshop and the outdoor forge behind it. Although there were nearly two dozen students testing weapons, only three kids were working in the forge.

“More fire!” a boy yelled while he hammered a sword.

“On it!” a girl called. She ran up to the furnace and stuck her hands inside. The flames surged, but she didn’t move. “I need more wood!”

“On my way!” a second boy ran over with his arms full of logs. He put them in around the girl’s arms and stepped back.

The girl removed her hands and snapped her fingers to extinguish the lingering flames. She turned to first boy and grinned. “Do I have a staff yet?”

The boy stopped hammering and turned to her. “Cait, I’ve told you many times, no one will use that thing.”

The girl frowned and crossed her arms. She looked around and, seeing Amanda, ran over. She pulled a drawing from her pocket and shoved it at her. “Would you use this?”

Amanda glanced at the paper and saw what looked like a spear, but with a longer, curved head. Scrawled above the weapon was ‘Naginata’. There were other notes covering the page, most about what materials would be used, but some were directions on how to use it in a fight.

“Sure.” Amanda handed the page back to the girl. “Do you have one?”

“Not yet.” The girl smirked and ran back to the forge. “I have a customer!” she announced to the first boy. “Can I please get a staff now?”

The boy sighed. “Fine.” He conceded. “Give me a few hours.”

Amanda smiled and went back to watching the students test different weapons. Eros isn’t much of a fighter. She thought, remembering what she’d read the night before. She remembered reading about talented mortals who fought in the name of a God. Do I have to fight for him?

She pulled out her phone and started looking up different Gods and Goddesses. Ares would be a good go-to. Athena, too. But they didn’t quite fit her. She wasn’t about pure violence, but she wasn’t really a strategist, either. She needed a God who represented action only when action was needed.

She tapped a link and saw a God she’d never heard of before. “Thanatos.” She mumbled. “Death.” Unwanted, but necessary.

Sorry, dad. She thought as she made her way to the main courtyard. There was a fountain in the center with a miniature Mount Olympus in the middle. She didn’t know how to officially choose a patron God, but she figured this was a good place to try. If I won’t be Birth, I’ll be Death.

“Hey, uh, Thanatos.” She felt silly, talking to a fountain, but weirder things had happened. “Can I, maybe, fight in your name? Eros isn’t quite up my alley.”

The water rippled, and she could swear she saw the same heart design that had appeared on her hand. The water rippled again, and the heart was replaced by a skull and crossbones.

Amanda smiled. “Thanks.” She pulled a marker from her pocket and drew the design on her hand. “I’ll make you proud.”